Overview
Finders Keepers is a 1984 American comedy film directed by Richard Lester and starring Michael O'Keefe, Beverly D'Angelo, Brian Dennehy, and Louis Gossett Jr., with an early performance by Jim Carrey. The film was adapted from Charles Dennis' 1974 novel The Next-to-Last Train Ride. The film opened on May 18, 1984, earning $865,207 during its first weekend in 753 theaters.
Plot
In 1973, Georgiana Latimer schemes with her lover, Josef Sirola, to steal five million dollars in cash from her father's safe. As Georgiana pretends to be a widow in mourning, she and Josef hide the loot in a coffin and plan to transport it by train to New York. Elsewhere, young Michael Rangeloff is on the run from the irate women's roller derby team he manages. Michael escapes by disguising himself in a U.S. Army uniform at the Oakland, California, train station, where two military officials assume he is accompanying the coffin. Meanwhile, Georgiana and Sirola have noticed Michael and follow him. On board, Michael becomes friendly with scatterbrained actress, Standish Logan, and soon discovers the coffin contains millions of dollars. During a stop in Reno, Nevada, Michael telephones his friend, Century Milestone, an experienced conman, who later boards the train dressed as a minister. Meanwhile, the conductor makes an unplanned stop in High River, Nebraska, to deliver the deceased hero to his hometown. Michael and Century get off the train with the coffin, along with Standish, who plays the role of Biddlecoff's widow.
After a quick funeral, Michael and Century unearth the money from the grave. In the meantime, Sirola, who was forced off the train earlier, learns about the hero's burial on television and travels to High River to retrieve the money. Georgiana also arrives in town, but is arrested by FBI agent Ormond. When Michael and Century finish gathering the money, they discover Sirola has kidnapped Standish and taken her to an empty farmhouse. However, the home is a prefabricated dwelling, which is towed the next day. Michael and Century locate the moving house, take over from the driver, and confront Sirola. After Standish is rescued, she, Michael, and Century make a getaway with the five million dollars, while Sirola is arrested.
Cast
Michael O'Keefe as Michael Rangeloff
Beverly D'Angelo as Standish Logan
Louis Gossett Jr.
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).